Valuing Women
‘The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ’, so St Mark begins his account of the life,
work and ministry of Jesus Christ, a life which broke
through the religious and cultural taboos of his day.
Like a tornado the events of chapter 1 go from his baptism, temptation, choosing the twelve,
rebuking the unclean spirits and then, after ‘church’, he goes to Simon’s house.
There he goes to the bedside of a woman, Simon’s mother-in-law, takes her hand, ‘lifts her up’.
He broke the rules, he healed, and showed his followers how to value women.
May his gospel lift up all women.
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
Members in central and southern Africa are raising awareness of gender- based violence.
Astonishingly, roughly 60 thousand women have been helped.
Men are joining a campaign called ‘Not in My Name’ and pledging to protect women.